Need help in choosing an A4

I have decided to buy an A4, but undecided as to which engine model to go
for - 1.8, 19.TDi or the 1.8T. I currently drive an MR2 Turbo, but
performance isn't the main factor for the A4, I'd much rather have a good

mix of performance/reliability/fuel economy.
My budget is fairly limited. I don't want to be spending more than £3000 -
that includes P/X'ing my MR2. Do you guys think I could buy a good car for
that money? I know the budget is small, but I have seen quite a few M, N
and P reg A4's in Autotrader from £1700 upwards, covering most models. I
guess the majority of these are ex-fleet, as they tend to have high miles
Do A4's take high milage well, or should I steer clear of these?
Also, I understand that the TDi comes in 2 flavours, 90bhp and 110bhp. How
do you tell the difference between the two?
What are the differences for the 1.8, 1.9 TDi and 1.8T in terms of:
1. Performance
2. Fuel economy
3. Servicing costs - price of cambelt change etc.
4. Reliability
I am quite keen on the 1.8T, but worried about it's associated costs. How
reliable is the turbo; when it does blow, what are the costs involved to
repair/replace?
What are the main things I should look out for when looking at an A4?
Are there any A4 buying guides on the web?
Sorry for all the Q's, but I want to know as much as possible to avoid
buying a banger.
Thanks in advance,
Sam

I just part ex'd my P reg 97 A4 2.6 quattro for under 3k with 160k on the
clock

Usually a different colour I or TD or some variation

!.8T is obviously the fastest being petrol expect 30-40mpg on a 70mph
motorway run, but lower this to 20mpg around town blasting the turbo, the
tdi's are good for 50mpg, servicing is same as most other brands now, labour
is expensive at dealers, but independants will charge alot less, cam belt
costs about £400+ so budget this in, the engines are interferance meaning
they will bend valves if it breaks, reliability is fine, even after 150k
miles +, as long as its serviced etc,

www.audiworld.com / www.parkers.co.uk / have a look around a few sites,

It's an Audi :) you wont find many A4 bangers, they all have 10yr corrosion
warrantys, you cant go wrong, if you find one let someone know in here and
they will have a look over it and spot any potentiol problems online of
course :)

1.9TDI is your car if performance is not your hotspot. Get the 110PS or
130PS, not the 100PS. The first two can be tuned to some 140PS and 155PS
with just a chip. More boring, noisy and polluting than 1.8T but fuel
economy is amazing.
JP Roberts

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